With bright, unforced voice, Matt DeAngelis introduces “Helpless To The Fire”. It does not over-extend itself to make its point. It’s a natural style of delivery, even when the words get darker. That’s what got me from the first few seconds.
This arrangement begins with a small one. The guitar and piano play quietly and patiently, followed by the drums, which pull everything up. The song has come a long way, yet it never rushes, by the time it reaches the height of the song. Players know when they need to come in – and what is not thrown in too early.
The most impressive aspect of the writing is that it is so direct. But what is it, when all else is gone, that DeAngelis is asking, and he’s not lecturing anyone, he’s asking. He simply places the question before them and says, “I place it in front of you in this moment, I trust you will sit with it.” It requires guts to be so open and you can hear it.
Also, there’s a thread of hope through the whole piece. Though there are fears and losses in the lyrics, the music continues to pull towards something warmer. It doesn’t wallow. It sounds as if someone is having a difficult thought and by the end they are at a more stable place. The backing band sounds like they’ve been in a room together for years, rather than all playing the same part and stuffing it into the mix.
The song resolves towards the end, almost as if you were breathing out after holding your breath for a long time. After the end of it, I sat for a second, before doing anything else. Then I played it again – not something that I do very often. Helpless To The Fire is not a showy piece, it’s from a true place. It is honest all the way down and Matt DeAngelis sings it as if it’s his very own. It’s a song that you will never forget.
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